The ice melts when I look at you
by xBaltoDork
Summary: Moonlight shined through the entrance to the cave, landing on Shira perfectly. She started to snore softly, and he sighed as he moved closer to her. "I love you." He murmured. Diego never thought it would be hard to say these words when she was awake. They'd have to confess feelings for each other soon, he had fell hard.


Shira listened closely as Manny gave everyone a partner to explore the new island with. "I'll go with Ellie. Peaches can go with Louis, Sid with Granny, and Diego.." He gave Diego a goofy smile, making the saber mutter a curse word under his breath.

"You'll go with Shira."

The white saber tooth tiger slowly approached his side and smiled. "Looks like we're a team, softie."

Diego looked to his side and saw blue eyes that put the ocean to shame. He gulped and felt a tingly feeling overcome him. "Well, we are both sabers.."

"Right, I'm sure it's just that." Shira said with a smirk and a roll of her eyes.

Diego took a moment to admire the former pirate in all of her glory. The sunlight shined on her white and gray coat, and her eyes looked at him with such.. affection. The light gray freckles above her nose, not noticable to a lot of people, but he adored them. And than she did have an amazing body.. but..

"Diego!" She snapped him out of his thoughts before he'd think something he might regret.

"Oh.. uhm.. sorry." He apologized.

"Did you see something you like?" Shira raised an eyebrow and Diego felt his fur growing hot.

Diego grumbled something before he started to walk away. "Come on, let's go looking.."

He heard Shira's laugh. It was beautiful in all honesty.

_Damn. How did you fall like this?_ Diego thought, looking back as Shira ran to catch up to him and he felt their fur brush as they walked.

"So softie.. I was thinking.." Shira started slowly, Diego growing concerned at her expression in her eyes.

The white saber tooth continued, "Maybe we could share a den.. at least for a little while.. I mean, don't get any perverted thoughts.."

She held back a laugh seeing the orange saber's face turn red as he looked away for a brief moment. "I just don't feel.. comfortable being alone after all of this.."

Diego looked over at her and saw a pang of loneliness in her eyes. He softly nudged at her shoulder with his head. "No problem, Kitty."

Shira sighed. "I told you not to call me that." She said in a bittersweet tone.

Diego chuckled as they kept walking. They walked across the snowy area, looking around.

"You have no idea how glad I am to be on land." Shira said softly. Diego smiled at her softly. "And I bet you're glad that you're with me." He grinned, teasing her.

Shira pricked her ears at this but didn't turn her gaze towards him. She just rolled her eyes and than looked up, hearing water rushing down. The white saber picked up the pace until she saw a large waterfall cascading down.

"Wow." She said, taking in the view of the sunlight glistening on the water, rocks lying around the shore. "It's a beautiful view." She murmured.

Diego felt his throat closing in, but he managed to get what he wanted to say out as he looked over at her. "My view's more beautiful.."

Shira blushed deeply and looked down at her paws, her heart beating ninety miles a minute and her stomach had butterflies in it. _Damn it Shira! _She let out a desperate sigh, hating this feeling he was giving her. It was something she had never experienced before. She heard Diego purr with affection and amusement and she had to smile.

She stood up and cleared her throat, shaking the tingly numb feeling out as good as she could.

"Let's go check it out." Diego suggested. "I'll race you there!"

Shira smirked at him. "You're on, softie!"

They both ran neck and neck, but when it came to who won, Shira carefully slid onto a wet rock, gripping at the slippery surface with her claws and staring down at the water with terror in her eyes as she let out a relieved sigh.

Diego came up to her and sighed. "You got me."

"Of course I did." She said, slowly dragging her gaze from the water.

Diego looked at her for a moment as water sprayed onto her pelt. "Shira..?"

"Yes?" She asked.

"I was just wondering, can you swim?" The male saber questioned.

Shira shook her head. "No.. I never really went into the water until I got separated from Gutt.."

Diego smiled. "Well, at least you weren't taught by a sloth."

Shira purred softly, picturing it in her mind.

"Someday, I'll teach you." Diego promised, but his eyes trailed away. "But for now.. come on, I think I see something."

He followed a trail of rocks, and behind the waterfall was a cave, perfectly suitable for a den.

"Well, what do you know?" She said. "That didn't take too long."

"Nah, it didn't.. I think this makes a nice den." He looked around it, and faintly through where they entered he could see the sun setting.

As if on cue, he heard Shira yawn loudly. "I don't know about you softie, but I think I'm going to sleep early.. I'm exhausted after today."

Diego nodded, feeling sleepy himself. "Same here."

He watched as Shira went to a corner and started to lie down, and than winced in pain.

"Shira! Are you okay?" He said, surprised.

She gritted her teeth. "I'm fine, I just put pressure on the wrong leg."

Diego walked over to her. "Let me see." He placed her paw in his, and Shira was going to snatch it away, but she liked this comforting feeling. There were the butterflies again.

The orange saber tooth tiger's heart broke as he saw a long bruise run down her leg. "Did.. Gutt do this to you?"

She nodded and sighed, sorrow and betrayal filling her gaze. "I'm sore in a lot of places from where he abused me after I let you guys go.." Her voice cracked, but she cleared her throat just as simple as that and brushed it off.

Diego looked at her, feeling horrible. Who could do that to someone like her?

"If only you didn't do that for us.." He said slowly.

"No!" She looked up at him, deep into his green eyes where he could feel her emotions. "I did it once, and I'd do it again."

Diego ran a paw gently down a faint bruise he had spotted on her neck. She shivered a bit at this touch, and widened her eyes in surprise as he licked her neck. She couldn't help what a good feeling this was, and moaned very faintly, but it was still audible in the nearly empty cave. She blushed red, and it spread all across her face. "D-Diego.." She muttered, trying to find words to explain.

Diego blushed nervously but than started to laugh softly. "Eh.. that's my fault for putting a bit too much into it.."

Shira chuckled very softly. "It.. it's fine, really."

They sat in an awkward silence for a moment before Shira yawned and lied down, this time pressing down on the right paw. "Well softie, I'm going to sleep." He nodded. "Night, Kitty."

She rolled her eyes before shutting her eyelids and starting to breathe softly. Diego lied down not too far away from her and rested his head on his paws, staring at the sight.

Moonlight shined through the entrance to the cave, shining on Shira perfectly. She breathed softly and he watched her drift off into a sleep.

She started to snore softly, and he sighed as he moved closer to her. "I love you." He murmured. Diego never thought it would be hard to say these words when she was awake.

He stared at the bruises and marks on her body and felt a stinging pain. Diego rested his head on her back. "I'll protect you for the rest of my life, Shira.." He whispered before sighing and falling asleep.


End file.
